Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

Jesus taught his followers to help the poor. Yet there is much confusion about the most effective and biblical means for doing so. In this episode, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae talk with Dan Anderson, pastor at the Urban Rescue Mission, about how Christians can make a genuine and lasting difference for the poor. Dan shares some memorable and life-changing stories.  After serving in Pastoral ministry in the local church for twenty-five years, God has called Dan Anderson into full-time compassion ministry. Pastor Dan is currently serving as the Staff Pastor to 175 employees at the Union Rescue Mission in Skid Row in Los Angeles, CA where he also serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2018/the-gospel-and-poverty  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

What is the church doing well in the LGBTQ conversation? Where can we improve? In this podcast, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae interview Dr. Mark Yarhouse about these questions and more. They ask Dr. Yarhouse some of the toughest questions surrounding this issue, and he responds with wisdom and insight. As a trained psychologist, Dr. Yarhouse brings a uniquely balanced and research-based approach to this issue.  Dr. Mark Yarhouse is the Rosemarie S. Hughes Endowed Chair and Professor of Psychology at Regent University, where he is the executive director of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity. Mark is the author or co-author of several books, including Understanding Sexual Identity: A Resource for Youth Ministry and Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2018/the-church-and-the-lgbtq-conversation  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

What is the best evidence for the soul? What is the state of philosophical debate over the existence of the soul? Can evolution explain the soul? In this episode, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae discuss these questions, and many more, with Talbot professor J.P. Moreland, one of the top 50 living philosophers today.  If you're interested in this topic, check out The Soul: How We Know It's Real and Why It Matters by J.P. Moreland.  Dr. J.P. Moreland is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot. He has authored more than 30 books and 70 articles in the area of philosophy and apologetics.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2018/naturalism-and-the-soul  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

The contemporary church puts a huge emphasis on natural marriage and family. But according to pastor, author and Talbot professor Joe Hellerman, the New Testament prioritizes the church family. Have we gotten our priorities wrong? In this podcast, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae talk to Professor Hellerman about the biblical view of family and what this practically means for the church today.  Joe Hellerman's book is titled When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Community.  Dr. Joe Hellerman has taught at Talbot for more than a decade and ministered in the church most of his adult life. Joe has authored three academic monographs: The Ancient Church as Family (Fortress Press, 2001), Reconstructing Honor in Roman Philippi (Cambridge University Press, 2005) and Jesus and the People of God: Reconfiguring Ethnic Identity (Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2007). He has also written two books about Christian community for pastors and other church leaders: When The Church Was A Family (B & H Press, 2009) and Embracing Shared Leadership (Kregel, 2013). In addition to his full-time duties with our New Testament Department, Joe presently serves as co-pastor at Oceanside Christian Fellowship in El Segundo.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2018/have-churches-oversold-family-and-marriage  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

In this episode, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae continue the conversation with Brett Kunkle, president of Maven, a youth culture specialist organization. They discuss how to define culture, and then offer practical ideas for helping young people navigate our information age, apply faith to all areas of life, and guide them to experience the good life amidst affluence and materialism.  Brett Kunkle's latest book is titled A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World.  Brett Kunkle is the founder and president of MAVEN, a movement to equip the next generation know truth, pursue goodness and create beauty. He has more than 25 years of experience working with junior high, high school, and college students. He was a youth pastor in Southern California and in the Denver area for 11 years and was the Student Impact Director for Stand to Reason for 14 years. He holds an MA in Philosophy from Talbot.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2018/navigating-student-culture-part-2  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

What are the unique challenges young people face today? And what are some creative ways to equip and reach them? In this podcast, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae talk with youth expert Brett Kunkle about how to help students effectively navigate technology, media, and other pressing concerns of today.  Brett Kunkle's latest book is titled A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World.  Brett Kunkle is the founder and president of MAVEN, a movement to equip the next generation know truth, pursue goodness and create beauty. He has more than 25 years of experience working with junior high, high school, and college students. He was a youth pastor in Southern California and in the Denver area for 11 years and was the Student Impact Director for Stand to Reason for 14 years. He holds an MA in Philosophy from Talbot.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2018/navigating-student-culture-part-1  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

This week, Open Doors, the international ministry to the persecuted church founded by Brother Andrew, released its annual World Watch List—the list of the 50 countries that most deny religious freedom and persecute Christians around the world. Listen in as Dr. Scott Rae interviews Dr. Ron Boyd-MacMillan on the state of the persecuted church in 2018. Dr. Boyd- MacMillan is Director of Strategic Research for Open Doors, International, and Professor of Practical Theology and Persecution Studies at Lahore College of Theology, in Pakistan. His research is a major contributor to the annual World Watch List.  Dr Ronald Boyd-MacMillan is Director of Strategic Research for Open Doors International, the world's largest organization assisting persecuted Christians worldwide, and a Professor of Practical Theology in Pakistan. He has enjoyed contrasting careers as a Bible smuggler in Cold War Eastern Europe, a pastor in England, a journalist in Hong Kong, a trainer of underground preachers in China and President of a speech tuition agency. He is the author of several books including Faith that Endures: The Essential Guide to the Persecuted Church.   Additional Resources Mentioned in the Podcast  Open Doors World Watch List   Faith That Endures: The Essential Guide to the Persecuted Church    Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2018/the-world-watch-list-and-the-persecuted-church  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

In this stimulating conversation with Dr. Russell Moore, Talbot Professor Dr. Scott Rae explores how to navigate the difficult terrain of meaningful cultural engagement while staying faithful to the Bible. Dr. Moore is the President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy and ethics think tank for the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. Dr. Moore is featured regularly in various news media and has become one of the leading spokespersons for Christian faith in public life. Join us for this insightful discussion.  Russell Moore serves as the eighth president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Moore’s book Onward: Engaging the Culture Without Losing the Gospel was named Christianity Today’s Book of the Year in 2015. He has also written Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches and Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ. He also serves as Distinguished Professor of Christian Ethics at Southern Seminary, having been previously dean and provost there.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2017/engaging-the-culture-without-losing-the-gospel  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

In part two of our conversation on race and the church, Sean McDowell and Scott Rae talk with Pastor Chris Brooks about the Black Lives Matter movement, the protests at NFL games and the notion of white privilege. Brooks is pastor of Evangel Ministries, a large and predominantly African-American church in the heart of Detroit. He is also the author of Urban Apologetics and Kingdom Dreaming and serves as Dean of Moody Theological Seminary, Michigan extension.   Chris Brooks is the senior pastor of Evangel Ministries, a thriving 1600-member church in the heart of Detroit. He also serves as campus dean of Moody Theological Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan. A popular Detroit radio host since 2005, Chris is author of Kingdom Dreaming and Urban Apologetics. He graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Finance, completed his MA in Christian Apologetics at Biola University.    Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2017/race-and-the-church-part-2  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Issues around race continue to be front-page news both in the culture at large and in the church. In this episode and the one that follows, Scott Rae and Sean McDowell interview Chris Brooks, pastor of Evangel Ministries, a large and predominantly African-American church in the heart of Detroit. Pastor Brooks is also the author of Urban Apologetics and Kingdom Dreaming and serves as Dean of Moody Theological Seminary, Michigan extension. Join us for this stimulating conversation on race and the church.   Chris Brooks is the senior pastor of Evangel Ministries, a thriving 1600-member church in the heart of Detroit. He also serves as campus dean of Moody Theological Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan. A popular Detroit radio host since 2005, Chris is author of Kingdom Dreaming and Urban Apologetics. He graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Finance, completed his MA in Christian Apologetics at Biola University.    Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2017/race-and-the-church-part-1  ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.